PR Insiders

“The more things change, the more they stay the same.” In French, “Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose.” In a rough sense, that aphorism sums up what 24 senior communicators told us in… Continued

As we know, the best PR pros are constantly learning in a variety of ways. Arthur Solomon argues that even if you lack the money to fund continuing education courses or seminars, PR pros can learn a great deal just by observing the actions of politicians in Washington, D.C. Following up on his July 14 post, here are more lessons from a tuition-free crash course in media relations.

With the current new cycle’s emphasis on crises, the need for brands and their CEOs to respond with appropriately has become paramount. Sadly, many times these crises call for communicators to craft expressions of grief. One issue, though, is that some phrases can be overused to the point of losing their effectiveness on listeners or readers. This is known as semantic satiation. Here are tips to help communicators be more effective with the words they use to express grief in public statements.

If you’ve just started working in PR no doubt you’ve learned that the life of a PR pro means juggling a lot of tasks and skills. Perhaps you’re overwhelmed. Worry not. Veteran communicator Andrew Blum has tips and tactics to help as you get acclimated to professional life. And while it’s unlikely your first job in PR is glamorous, it can be a steppingstone to the rest of your career.

We all knew that eventually brands and, in particular, CEOs, would reach a point where they would have to react publicly to a statement or action taken by an unfiltered president who is supremely skilled at lashing out at critics. Senior communications pros, take notice: Your CEO needs you.

There probably isn’t a single American CEO who’s not quivering right now, wondering if he or she is going to have to make some kind of statement about President Trump’s strongly expressed conviction that both… Continued

You’ve got a great story to tell and a media representative ready to listen, but your company’s gun-shy leadership doesn’t want to engage with the press. While staying away from the spotlight can be the right call at times, we know earned media can help burnish your company’s reputation and make it more resonant. Try taking small steps with your executives to demonstrate that not all media members are looking to attack them and the brand.

PR pros move between corporate and agency roles regularly. Although there are a set of common skills that you must bring to both corporate and agency environments, there are some key differences. Srikant Ramaswami, who has worked in corporate and agency settings, shares his wisdom for success in transitioning from the brand side to an agency. He also shares tips for new grads on how to choose between working in-house or at an agency.

All that glitters is not gold. That seems to be true with MixBin. The brand recalled nearly 300,000 of its glittery mobile phone cases after an unnamed liquid started dripping from them, burning customers’ skin. While MixBin responded quickly to the situation, offering a full refund, its written statement seems tone deaf and unapologetic.

Mistakes of all sizes happen. We know that. PR pros often are called in after those mistakes occur. They usually attempt to mollify things. Sometimes they goof and fan the flames. At times, communicators can do very… Continued